Northwestern head coach Claire Pollard saw Linda Abu Mushrefova and Nida Hamilton advance to the quarterfinals at the National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships.Northwestern head coach Claire Pollard saw Linda Abu Mushrefova and Nida Hamilton advance to the quarterfinals at the National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships.

Wildcats Roll Through Round of 16 at National Indoor Intercollegiates

Nov. 3, 2011

USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships
Thursday, Nov. 3 - Sunday, Nov. 6
USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center
Flushing, N.Y. • All Day
Tournament Central Page
Live Scoring Updates

FLUSHING, N.Y. -- Northwestern's top-ranked doubles duo of Nida Hamilton and Linda Abu Mushrefova lived up to their billing Thursday morning as they rolled past TCU's Millie Nichols and Olivia Smith, 8-2, in the round of 16 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City.

The Wildcats cruised through their first match of the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships, winning by a score of 8-2 over Nichols and Smith. Both teams had a bye in the opening round of the 20-team tournament, which features the best pairs from around the country. Abu Mushrefova (Bradenton, Fla./Pendleton) and Hamilton (Oak Brook, Ill./Hinsdale Central) carry with them a Campbell's ITA preseason ranking of No. 3 in the country and the No. 4 seed overall in this draw.

Play in the quarterfinal round will begin Friday, Nov. 4 at 8 a.m. Abu Mushrefova and Hamilton will face Alex Kelleher and Olga Khymlev from Boston College on Friday. Kelleher and Khymlev are one of four teams to have played twice already in the tournament as they posted wins over a team form Wake Forest and another from Ole Miss to advance to Friday's quarters.

The rest of the 'Cats will be playing in their final tournament of the fall this weekend, as well, at the Thunderbird Invitational hosted by Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz. In addition to the host Sun Devils, players from California, Fresno State, Kansas State, Northern Arizona, San Diego, Utah, Michigan and Ohio State will be joining Northwestern in the field. Play begins Friday at 10:30 a.m. CT.

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